Fruit Roll-ups

(fggam.org)

As I was praying over a dear friend this morning, God nudged my memory and I recalled having a discussion with a friend many years ago. This friend was feeling attacked by someone else we knew from church. An illustration came to mind about the precious Blood of Jesus.

This Blood is the only thing that can cleanse us from sin, it’s our “ticket to Heaven”. It provides a whole lot more for us, though. It provides for our every need. The Blood of Jesus fulfills every promise God made to us in His Word. It provides deliverance from spiritual afflictions, brings life to our spirit, gives us physical healing, protects us from the enemy and more.

Appropriating all the blessings this Blood provides is our job. Jesus did the work on the Cross that makes available the blessings of salvation, but it’s up to us to take those blessings and believe they are ours, to walk in them and to apply them to our lives.

If I buy you a brand-new car and drop the keys in your accepting hands, the car won’t do you a bit of good if you never put the key into the ignition, turn the key and drive off. You’ll still have the car, but I didn’t spend my money on a gift you refuse to use...

(choosingchia.com)

So, here’s my strange analogy. Way back when I got this revelation, Fruit Roll-ups were a new thing. Kids and adults alike seemed to love the fruity snack. Supposedly made of fruit juices (I have my doubts), they’re a sticky substance, rolled out into a flat sheet, then rolled up into a roll and packaged for convenience.

In my mind’s eye, I could see my grown friend lying on a huge, spread out Fruit Roll-up, then rolling over and over, folding the gummy, sticky substance over themselves until they were covered completely. To touch them, I’d have to poke through the Fruit Roll-up. Bizarre? Perhaps, but, the image was to illustrate that the Blood of Jesus completely covers us.  The enemy has to poke through the Blood to get to us.

Unlike the roll-up, the Blood of Jesus is strong. There’s nothing stronger. I can easily poke my finger through a roll-up. But though the enemy try repeatedly, he cannot break through the Blood of Jesus. That’s our permanent protection, promised and delivered by God, Himself.

We can feel beaten up and worn down by all the poking the enemy does to us, but he cannot get through.

When we stop spending time in God’s Word and talking with Him daily, we weaken, but the Blood of Jesus is still as strong as it was the day He poured it out for us. Even when we spend time with God, the enemy is still trying to poke through, but His Word encourages us and tells us the truth – that the enemy is lying to us, again.

We need to get it into our understanding that the enemy cannot take us out. If he could, he would have done so already. All he can do is lie to us, hoping to deceive us into believing we’re sick or oppressed or afraid or confused, etc.

Begin to praise God in the midst of your circumstance (and get back into His Word!), believe God. Then, laugh at the mess you thought you were in. God will show you your breakthrough as you praise Him, as you acknowledge His protection and promises fulfilled to you.

Complaining, whether internally or to others, about the negative garbage the enemy is throwing at you will only help it to stick to you.

(wccowboychurch.org)

Trust that bloody roll-up of Love, trust in God’s provision. He’s not a man that He should lie to you. (Numbers 23:19) He’s provided every single thing you need to live a prosperous life; to live life abundantly. That’s what He sent Jesus to do for you!

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus  Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." -Hebrews 13:20-21 (NKJV)